“Gar firdaus bar-rue zamin ast, hami asto, hamin asto, hamin ast.”
The persian adage by “Amir Khusrao” describing beauty of Kashmir translates to
“If there is a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here.”
Indeed the above statement thrilled me all along throughout life geographically,and when learnt in school by heart, I became more keen to live for once in the paradise of dreams on earth. Recently got a chance to visit a restaurant which has recently opened up in Jaipur along with my friends.
Zarpar means hospitality in Kashmiri and the staff will leave no stone unturned in welcoming you and making your affair with Zarpar, a memorable one. From decor to the staff’s uniform, spices, seating arrangement and food ( off course! 😛 ), everything is authentic over here. From teak wooden floors to carpeted ceilings and stunning pots, pans, handicrafts and even spices, this place has brought Kashmir’s impeccable beauty on the deserted land of Jaipur. A place like this doesn’t need much of description for I’ll fall short of words while praising it. You must visit and experience the charm this place has all by yourself! With traditional Kashmiri tunes of Santoor, you’ll feel the peace and tranquility of sitting in a shikaara boart, all thanks to the Pari Mahal section.
Deewan khaana is for those special daawat ( feasts) , you’d like to celebrate with special ones.
“WAZWAN”, in short, means a royal multi-course meal in the tradition of Kashmir region of Himalayas in India. It is the ultimate formal banquet in Kashmir and is treated with great respect because it’s preparation is considered an art and regarded as the pride of the Kashmiri culture and identity. The Wazwan is not a simple meal but a ceremony. Hours of cooking and days of planning go into the making and serving of a Wazwan. Throughout the history like its culture, Kashmir cuisine has stood high and unrivaled by any other state in India. Waz stands for chef and Wan means a shop selling delicacies.
Without much further ado, I brief you about what I ordered:
Mushroob-E-Bubri:
This summer refreshing drink has all the ingredients to make your afternoon perfect. It’s a soda based Sharbat which has chia seeds, pomegranate seeds, lemon and flavours of mint and saffron.
Veg Starters:
Nadar Monj:
These are super crispy and crunchy lotus stem fries, which is something new apart from the cliched potato fries that we end up ordering usually in the restaurants. These are seasoned with special spices and salad.
Tchaaman Kanti–
This is the Kashmiri varsion of our very own Paneer Tikka and it’s very delicious. The ultra soft and fresh paneer cubes are tossed in the Kashmiri spices.
Trosh Aolov–
A spicy treat to all the potato fries lovers. The crispy potatoes are prepared with special spices and your mouth starts watering at the mere sight of this lovely starter.
These starters are served with breathtakingly delicious 5 kinds of chutneys namely :
Doon Tchatin– This chutney is a lovely blend of walnut crush and yogurt with Kashmiri spices.
Muj Tchatin– Made with grated radish, yogurt and kashmiri spices, this is yet another delectable chutney.
Anardane Tchatin– This kashmiri pomegranate seed paste with tamarind chutney has lovely texture and provides natural sweet n sour taste to the snacks.
Zirish Tchatin– I loved this chutney a lot. It’s made of black berry paste with kashmiri spices and tamarind.
Alle Tchatin– This chutney was made of pumpkin, yogurt, honey and dry fruits. It complimented all the starter snacks so well.
Daaniwal Shorba–
This soup featured the vegetable stock and the soothing flavours of lemon, coriander and saffron. People who love having soups must try this over here, you’ll find it very comforting.
Main Course:
Dum Aolov:
My favourite dish from the entire lunch spread. The whole potatoes were cooked with genuine Kashmiri spices and tasted super fine.
Tchaaman Kalia:
Paneer (cottage cheese) is known as Tchaaman in Kashmir. This is a spikily flavoured dish with a succulent texture. The soft and gooey cubes of paneer were cooked in a yellow gravy and special spices.Tchaek Waangan:
Yet another lovely which had brinjals cooked with tamarind. I just loved having these with the khameer tchot ( fluffy khameeri rotis).
Raazma–
Rajma curry and rice… no meal can be more satiating! I have always loved kidney beans and if you serve them well then you’re definitely my favorite restaurant! Zarpar topped in the list when I tasted their Raazma. Perfectly cooked with their spices and herbs, they tasted divine.
Nadar Raita:
Fresh yogurt having lotus stems tasted good. It was not at all sour and this is something which I notice while having yogurt at any restaurant.
After having such a wholesome meal, it was time for dessert.
Kong Kheer:
Topped with saffron and a lot of dry fruits and nuts, this is rice kheer which was nice. Although I’m not a fan of sweet dished, yet this one was creamy and consistent and a nice option amongst the sweet dishes.
They also have a souvenir shop which sells few good Kashmiri items which we can buy & they also provide their traditional dresses for us to try on & click photographs. 
The staff is so lively, they make sure that our experience becomes more than a perfect one by entertaining us throughout. They specially performed the Kashmiri folk dance too.
The existing rich cuisine of Kashmir was mildly spiced and full of aromatic flavors. Kashmiri cuisine has a rich variety of vegetables, yogurt and meat dishes prepared with aromatic mild spices, butter or clarified butter and dry fruits. I’ve certainly become a fan of their Veg cuisines.
The quality of food was perfect and I hope they maintain this in future as well. There are few places which are undoubtedly a little expensive where you go once a while to relish good feasts and treat yourself with royalty, Zarpar surely does belong to that segment. It will pinch your pocket a little but for an experience, ambiance, food and service like this…”IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY YOU SPEND.” I’m eagerly looking forward to pay a visit again and try their other dishes super soon!
Thank you so much for reading.
Until next time, Rupal Sharma ( My Meandering Mind )
mymeanderingmindblog 